Coming into this series, I thought the Cavs only shot was Kyrie Irving being ridiculous. He's done it before, and he needed to find a way to do it five times. Tonight, with Draymond Green out, and the season on the line, he took the challenge. It wasn't all sustainable. He had Klay Thompson on him. But he attacked, and attacked, and attacked. He had help from LeBron James, who also scored 40+ points. And maybe you don't love the isolation basketball. But it worked tonight. Here's a few examples of the beauty.
We're all conditioned to hate the midrange, but this man needs to get to his spots. He hasn't been getting to the line during the playoffs even when he drives, so comfort is key. Part of the reason I'm so invested in Kyrie long term with the Cavs is his ability to shoot from distance. There just aren't many guys who can do this: How about a good old-fashioned dribble-drive? The strength here is what is impressive. Can he do it again? I don't know. We'll find out on Thursday night.